Rod joint or coupling



March 31. 1925. 1,531,463 P. M. VINCENT ROD JOINT OR COUPLING Filed001;. 28, 1924 Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

r. M. vrncnn'r, or OKEMAH, OKLAHOMA, assrsnon on ONE-HALF TO JOHN H.LAW- SON, OF OKEMAH, OKLAHOMA.

ROD JOINT OR COUPLING.

Application filed. October 28 1924. Serial No. 746,431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. M. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Okemah, in the county of Okfuskee and State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rod Joints orCouplings, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rod joints or couplings, and more particularlyto a coupling for the sucker rod sect-ions for pumping wells.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter having a box and pin engagement and having means positivelypreventing relative movement of the sections while the device is inoperating position within the well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter in which the loss of time in disconnection of the rods isreduced to a minimum, and in which the operation of the locking memberin both its engagement and its release is substantially automatic.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter the manipulation of which does not require the use of anyother than the ordinary wrenches employed in handling the present daysucker rod sections.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a rod joint constructed in accordance with my inven tionFigure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a vertical section, the sleeve being in lowered position,the pin end of the bar being in elevation;

Figure 4 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 3 with the sleeveshown in ele vated position.

Figure 5-is a section Figure t;

Figure 6 is a perspective of the pin end of the rod with the sleeveremoved;

Figure 7 is a sect-ion showing a wrench applied to remove or engage thepin.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10indicates the pin on the line 5--5 of thickness of the rod.

of a sucker rod, and 11 the box of a second sucker rod in which the pinengages. The structure of the box usually employed is but slightlyaltered. The upper ends of the walls are formed to provide ratchetshoulders 12 facing oppositely to the direction of rotation imparted tothe pin 10 to. engage the same in the'threads of'the box. Each shoulderat its base is connected with the peak of. the next adjacent shoulder byan inclined wall-13. In the present instance the shoulders 12 are shownasundercut for a purpose presently to appear. Immediately below the box,the sucker rod will be provided with the usual Wrench square indicatedat 14.

Immediately above the pin 10, the end of the sucker rod bearingthe pinis formed with a cylindrical enlargement 15. This cylindricalenlargement at the upper end thereof is flattened on opposite side facesas indicated at 16. The thickness of the cylindrical portion between theflattened faces 16 is preferably approximately that of the rod R. Belowthe flattened faces 16, a second set of flattened faces 17 is providedwhich are perpendicular to the same diameter as the flattened faces 16and are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the spacing of theflattened faces 16, so that the thick ness of the cylindrical portionbetween these flattened faces is slightly greater than the Between theflattened faces 16 and 17, on each side of the cylindrical portion anoutstanding shoulder 18 is produced, the ends 19 of which are formed bycontinuation of the side wall of the curved wall of the cylindricalportion, and the outer faces 20 of which are flat and parallel to oneanother and to the faces 16 and 17. The upper faces 21 of theseshoulders are horizontally directed.

A sleeve 22 is provided slidablyl fitting the outer surface of thecylindrical portion 15 and having at its lower end undercut ratchetteeth 23 for coaction with the ratchet teeth 12 of the box 11. Thissleeve is provided interiorly, at diametrically opposed points, withinwardly directed lugs 24, the lower faces of which provide downwardlydirected shoulders 25 spaced from the lower end of the sleeve 22 adistance such that when the pin is fully engaged in the box and thesedownwardly facing shoulders 25 are brought into engagement with theupper surface 21 of the shoulders 18, the ratchet teeth 23 of the sleeveare fully engaged with the ratchet teeth 12 of the box. The uppersurface of the lugs 24: is spaced below the upper end of the sleeve andforms a seat for the lower coil of a spring 26, which lower coils arewelded to the sleeve at the seat thus formed as indicated at 27 Theupper end of this sprin is brazed or otherwise secured to the rod at apoint 28 above the upper end of the cylindrical member 15 in such mannerthat the spring tends to rotate the sleeve 22 in the direction of thearrow A of Figure 1 and at the same time to force the sleeve downwardlyin the direction of the arrow B of this figure.

The sleeve is provided, at diametrically opposed points, with verticallyextending openings 29 exposing the fiat faces 17 so that a wrench may beapplied thereto. The upper ends of these openings, however, arerestricted, as at 30, for a purpose presently to appear. Attention isdirected to the fact that the cylindrical portion 15, being of greaterdiameter than the rod B, provides at its upper end and at the point ofits attachment to the rod upwardly facing shoulders 31 adjoining theflattened faces 16.

Assuming the box and pin to be fully engaged and the sleeve 22 to be inits lowermost position, to which it will be forced by the spring 26, andto have the teeth 23 thereof interlocking with the teeth 12 of the box11, as they will be engaged by the rotation of the sleeve under theinfluence of the spring, it will be seen that reverse rotation tendingto disengage the box and pin will be impossible. The flat inner faces 32of the lugs 24c by their engagement against the flattened faces 16 ofthe cylindrical enlargement 15 will prevent any but a very slightrelative rotation of the pin and sleeve in the direction of the arrow Aof Figure 1, and rotation of the pin in this direction is necessary tocause its disengagement from the box 11. The slight relative movementafforded when the faces 32 and 16 are opposed to one another is justsufiicient to permit the spring to move the undercut jaws into fullseating engagement with one another and to permit their disengagement.The faces 17 are so spaced that the distance between them is slightlyless than the distance between adjacent faces of the jaws 33 and 34 of awrench 35 employed with the sucker rod in the usual construction. Theside edges 36 of the opening 29 form continuations of these faces 17when the sleeve is in the locking position. The restricted portions ofthese openings, however, have their side walls arranged in planes spacedapart a dis tance approximately equaling the distance between adjacentfaces of the wrench jaws 33 and 34L so that the wrench will fit thisportion of the sleeve when applied thereto.

In releasing a coupling the wrench when first applied is slid up againstthe downwardly facing shoulders 37 formed at the upper end of thisopening and lifted, the weight of the rods tending to hold the box andpin stationary. This lifting overcomes the action of the spring andelevates the sleeve 22 until the downwardly facing shoulders 25 of thesleeve come into alignment with the upwardly facing shoulders 31 of thecylindrical portion, at which time the sleeve is rotated under influenceof the spring and the two shoulders come into engagement with oneanother, thus holding the sleeve in elevated position and with the teeth23 thereof disengaged from the teeth 12 of the box 11 as shown in Figure4. The wrench is then dropped and engaged with the cylindrical portionat the flattened faces 17 thereof. It is to be remembered that at thistime the sleeve 17 is rotated so thatdiagonally opposed corners 38 and39 formed at the conjunction of the flattened faces 17 with the curvedouter face of the cylindrical portion are exposed for engagement withthe wrench, the wrench binding upon these portions and permittingrotation of the up per rod R to disengage the pin 10 from the box 11. Inassembling a joint all that is necessary to release the sleeve is thatthe operator apply his wrench to the faces 17 and begin his rotativemovement in a direction to engage the pin in the box. The initialmovement of the wrench will cause rotation of the sleeve 22 against theaction of the spring releasing the shoulders 25 and 31 and permittingthe spring to force the sleeve in the direction of the arrow B until theshoulder 25 comes into engagement with the upwardly directed face of thecoacting shoulder 18. Rotation with the wrench is then continued untilthe pin is fully engaged, the spring yielding to permit a verticalreciprocation of the sleeve as the teeth 23 thereof pass over the teeth12 of the box. 1

It will thus be seen that the loss of time in engaging and disengagingthe sections will be that time expended in elevating the wrench to liftthe sleeve 22 against the action of the spring when the sections arebeing disengaged, and that this loss of time will be far less than theloss of time occasioned by unscrewing of the rods while in position inthe well and a consequent fishing operation. Attention is furtherdirected to the fact that by the structure hereinbes fore set forth alllikelihood of portions of the latch mechanism becoming loosened, due tobreakage of the rod, and falling into the well, from which they must beremoved before pumping operations can be again resumed, is prevented.The upper end of the spring is attached directly to the rod and thelower end thereof to the sleeve. Accordingly, if the rod break at thejunction of the loo cylindrical portion with the rod, a point at whichbreakage most often occurs, the sleeve will remain attached to the rodthrough the spring and will be withdrawn with the upper rod section.Attention is further directed to the fact that the under cutting of theratchet shoulders, together with the spring operation bringing theseundercut shoulders into engagement with one another, prevents alllikelihood of vertical displacement of the sleeve (lilt) to rubbing ofthe sleeve against the tubing of the well during operation.

It will be obvious that the structure hereinbefore set forth is capableof a considerable range of change and modification without in any mannerdeparting from the spirit of my invention. For example, the sleeveinstead of being mounted upon the pin might be mounted upon the box ofthe ratchet teeth 12 formed upon the shoulder of the pin. I accordinglydo not limit myself to such specific structure as hereinbefore set forthexcept as hereinafter claimed.

1. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of whichis formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded forengagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rodhaving teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limitingdownward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing thesleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve andsecond rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging whenthe sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod andsleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve iselevated and rotated.

2. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of whichis formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded forengagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rodhaving teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limitingdownward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing thesleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve andsecond rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging whenthe sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod andsleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve iselevated and rotated, said spring having engagement with the second rodand sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod.

In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of which isformed with ratchet teeth, a second rod having a pin threaded forengagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable upon the second rodhaving teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, lugs limitingdownward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing thesleeve downwardly, said lugs in the lowered position of the sleeveconfronting flattened faces formed upon the second rod to limit relativerotation of the sleeve and rod, and upwardly facing shoulders upon thesecond rod and with which the lower faces of the lugs are engageableupon elevation of the sleeve against the action of the spring androtation of the sleeve.

4:. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of whichis formed with ratchet teeth, a second rod having a pin threaded forengagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable upon the second rodhaving teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, lugs limitingdownward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing thesleeve downwardly, said lugs in the lowered position of the sleeveconfronting flattened faces formed upon the second rod to limit relativerotation of the sleeve and rod, and upwardly facing shoulders upon thesecond rod and with which the lower faces of the lugs are engageableupon elevation of the sleeve against the action of the spring androtation of the sleeve, said spring having engagement with the secondrod and sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod.

5. In combination with a rod having a box the end of the wall of whichis formed with ratchet teeth and a second rod having a pin threaded forengagement in the box, a sleeve vertically movable on the second rodhaving teeth for coaction with the teeth of the box, means limitingdownward movement of the sleeve upon the rod, a spring forcing thesleeve downwardly, means limiting relative rotation of the sleeve andsecond rod when the sleeve is in lowered position and disengaging whenthe sleeve is elevated, and coacting means upon the second rod andsleeve maintaining the sleeve in elevated position when the sleeve iselevated and rotated, said spring having engagement with the second rodand sleeve tending to rotate the sleeve upon the rod, the teeth of saidsleeve and box being similarly undercut, said means limiting relativerotation of the sleeve and second rod permitting rotation of the sleeveunder influence of the spring through a dis tance sufficient to permitthe teeth of the sleeve and box to interengage.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

P. M. VINCENT.

